The first press conference of the Second Session of the 12th National People's Congress was held at 11 a.m. on March 4 in the press conference hall of the Great Hall of the People. NPC spokesperson Fu Ying answered questions from Chinese and foreign journalists. Photo by Sheng Jiapeng, China News Service.

China News Service, March 4 — The Second Session of the 12th National People's Congress held a press conference on the morning of March 4. In response to questions on taxation, NPC Deputy Secretary-General and spokesperson Fu Ying said that legislative work on the real estate tax, the environmental protection tax and other taxes is under study, and that public opinions will be carefully solicited.

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed implementing the principle of statutory taxation. Fu Ying pointed out that the so-called principle of statutory taxation means that the state levies taxes through the legislature and in accordance with explicit legal provisions. The reform decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee clearly stated that the principle of statutory taxation must be implemented.

Fu Ying explained that tax legislation is a statutory power of the National People's Congress. China currently has 18 types of taxes, of which 3 are levied under legislation by the National People's Congress, namely the individual income tax, the enterprise income tax and the vehicle and vessel tax. The other 15 types of taxes are currently levied under authorization by the National People's Congress for the State Council to formulate interim tax regulations. This practice has played a very important role in the process of establishing China's tax system.

Fu Ying said that in the new period, the National People's Congress indeed needs to better implement and carry out the principle of statutory taxation. The main approaches are: first, to promote the upgrading of the aforementioned interim tax regulations into laws, especially those that have been tested in practice and are relatively mature and have the conditions for legislation, which should be advanced as soon as possible; second, to strengthen legislative work on new types of taxes.

Fu Ying said: "I have seen some discussions. Legislative work on the real estate tax and the environmental protection tax, which are of relatively great public concern, is under study, and public opinions will also be carefully solicited."